Having gone 8-3-0 in their last 11, the Avs are on the fringe of playoff contention and — with a win against Los Angeles and a Jets regulation loss in St. Louis tonight — would be just five points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

“It’s very simple. Reto’s been practicing really well and the three games he came in for relief he did a good job for us, but he hasn’t started a game since Nov. 25,” Roy explained, per the Denver Post. “It’d be unfair to put him in a situation like this, such an important game for us.

“All the games Calvin played for us, he played really well. He’s one of the reasons why we’re in the position today of still having a chance to make the playoffs.”

Pickard, 22, is 6-6-3 this year for Colorado, posting a .936 save percentage and 2.18 GAA. Berra, who has spent most of the season in Roy’s doghouse, had a couple of decent relief outings in February — stopping 22 of 23 shots against the Coyotes and Predators — but didn’t look great in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Minnesota, allowing one goal on four shots after Varlamov left with a lower-body injury.

Pretty dramatic turn in the Andrew Hammond narrative today — after a scintillating run as Ottawa’s No. 1 netminder, the Hamburglar will sit for a second straight game on Tuesday when the Sens take on the B’s in a game rife with playoff implications.

What’s more, Ottawa head coach Dave Cameron gave strong support for Anderson as his starter:

This development comes one day after Ottawa’s wild 5-4 shootout win over Calgary, a game in which the Sens held a 4-0 lead in the third period before Calgary scored four times in just under 12 minutes to even things up.

While Anderson did surrender the lead, he was hardly at fault as Ottawa’s leaky team defense allowed 46 shots on goal, including 24 in the final frame.

After the contest, Cameron was full of praise for Anderson — who was playing for the first time since Jan. 21 due to a hand injury.

“We give him lots of work. I thought he was real good. Real, real, real good. It’s good to see him back, see him healthy again,” Cameron said, per NHL.com. “I hope he’s not allergic to rubber. He’ll be dead.”

Ottawa’s goaltending situation has become a major storyline over the last two weeks. The club has — somewhat improbably — gone 10-1-2 over its last 13 games and vaulted back into playoff contention, mostly with Hammond in net.

With a regulation win tomorrow, Ottawa could draw to within three points of Boston for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference — with a game in hand on the B’s.

Craig Anderson will make his first start since Jan. 21 when the Ottawa Senators play host to the Calgary Flames tonight. Anderson suffered a bruise to his blocker hand during a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and hasn’t played since. The 33-year-old is 13-11-7 this season to go along with a 2.37 G.A.A. and a .927 save percentage.